Fragments of fragile heart

The morning air was filled with chatter as the group sat in their usual spot, enjoying a brief respite before their exams. Jimin, however, was anything but calm.

“Yoongi-hyung!” Jimin growled, glaring at Yoongi. “You’re the reason I didn’t study! You distracted me with that stupid drama last night! I woke up late because of you!”

Yoongi raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed. “You’re blaming me for your lack of time management? Really, Chim?”

Jimin huffed and smacked Yoongi’s arm, muttering curses under his breath. Everyone else watched the scene with amused expressions, their faces screaming done.

Junghwon leaned forward, his expression innocent as always. “Don’t worry, Chim. You’ll do great. I believe in you.”

Taehyung nodded, chiming in with his boxy grin. “Yeah, Junghwon’s right. Don’t stress out, Shorty.” He ruffled Junghwon’s hair playfully.

Jungkook watched silently from his seat, his heart sinking. The sight of Taehyung and Junghwon’s growing closeness cut deeper than he wanted to admit.

“Shorty?!” Jimin snapped, glaring at Taehyung now. “You better watch your words, Tae. I’ll—”

“What? Bicker with me like always?” Taehyung teased, tilting his head mockingly.

Jimin puffed up like an angry kitten, his eyes blazing. “You—!”

Yoongi sighed, clearly done with the chaos. “Who’s the one who was playing a love game instead of studying?” he deadpanned.

Jimin froze mid-yell, his eyes widening. He choked on his coffee, sputtering as the others erupted into laughter.

Jin, Namjoon, Hobi, and Taehyung all wore smug expressions as they started teasing Jimin mercilessly.

“Love game, huh?” Hobi grinned. “What’s this, Chim?”

“Care to explain?” Namjoon added, feigning curiosity.

Even Yoongi, who rarely joined in on teasing, smirked and said, “What kind of game are we talking about?”

Jimin’s face turned a deep shade of red as he tried to change the subject. “It’s nothing! I wasn’t playing any game! You’re all delusional!”

But no one was letting him off the hook that easily. They teased him relentlessly, their laughter echoing through the courtyard.

Jungkook watched the scene unfold in silence, his gaze fixed on Taehyung and Junghwon. He noticed how Taehyung ruffled Junghwon’s hair and greeted him with playful warmth. He saw how Jimin hugged Junghwon tightly, laughing at his cuteness.

It felt like the people he cherished most were slipping away.

Yoongi, ever observant, caught Jungkook’s distant expression. “Kookie, what’s wrong?” he asked, concern lacing his tone.

The question immediately drew everyone’s attention to Jungkook. Jin, Namjoon, and Hobi joined in, their faces etched with worry.

Taehyung, always attuned to Jungkook’s moods, hooked an arm around his shoulders and leaned in softly. “Kookie, is everything okay?”

Jungkook forced a small smile and shook his head. “It’s nothing. I’m just worried about the exam.”

Jin raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Worried about an exam? You? Kookie, you always ace tests without breaking a sweat.”

“I didn’t study that much this time,” Jungkook mumbled, avoiding their eyes. “I fell asleep while studying.”

Taehyung chuckled softly, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Don’t worry. You’ll still do better than Chim. You always beat him in tests.”